


Paging Dr. Bucky!

by Femalemarvelfanatic, M1das



Category: Captain America
Genre: AU, Doctor!Bucky, M/M, Patient!Steve, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-WW2, sick!Steve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-08-09
Packaged: 2019-05-17 08:46:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14829101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Femalemarvelfanatic/pseuds/Femalemarvelfanatic, https://archiveofourown.org/users/M1das/pseuds/M1das
Summary: 21 year-old Steve Rogers gets sick and ends up in the hospital under the care of Dr. “Bucky” Barnes





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

 

     Steve sneezed, then sniffled and reached over to his bedside table for his handkerchief. “Great...another cold,” he grumbled to himself. Steve got out of bed and started his day.  
     After taking a shower, getting dressed (with a quick search for his special shoes that were supposed to improve his scoliosis), and eating breakfast, Steve gathered up his work bag, and made his way to the front door of his little 2-room apartment in a tenement in Brooklyn, New York. He stopped for a moment to kiss his first two fingers and touch them to the frame of his mother’s photograph. “Have a good day, Ma. I love you.” He looked down at the watch he always wore that had belonged to his father. Seeing that he was running late, he ran out the door and to his job as a book illustrator.  
     “Good morning, Mister Smith!” Steve said to his boss, Robert Smith, as he sat down at his desk and pulled his illustrating supplies from his bag.  
     “New project for you today, Rogers,” Mister Smith said, speaking a bit louder than he normally would so that his employee, who was partially deaf, could hear him. “You’ll be working on the cover art for two ‘The Wizard of Oz’ books. One is ‘The Land of Oz’ and the other one is ‘The Patchwork Girl of Oz’. If I like them both, I might let you illustrate the whole thing.”  
     Steve sneezed, sniffled a little, then replied, “Thank you, Sir! I’ll do my best!” Mister Smith nodded, went back to his office, and Steve got started on his new project right away.  
     After a few hours of working on the first book, Steve was finally finished. He stood up to go to his boss’s office to show him his work, when he suddenly felt dizzy, and fainted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The two books mentioned were illustrated by John R. Neill, but changed for plot purposes. M1das and Femalemarvelfanatic can both be found on Tumblr at eveisevenworse.tumblr.com and femalemarvelfanatic.tumblr.com. And the banner at the top of the chapter was made by M1das, who will have a cameo appearance in Chapter 2!


	2. Chapter 2

    When Steve woke up, he saw that he was in a hospital room, and not at work like he had expected to be. He looked over to the side and saw that a short, brunette woman, wearing green nursing scrubs, was standing there, looking at his medical chart. She must have felt his eyes on her because she looked up, and he saw that she had green eyes.

    “Oh! You’re awake! My name is Evelyn. I’m the head nurse here.” She smiled kindly at him.

    “I’m sorry, Ma’am. I’m having some trouble hearing you. Would you speak up a bit please?”

    “Of course. Is that better?” she said in a slightly louder voice, to which Steve nodded in thanks. “I’ll let the doctor know as well. Can you tell me what happened, Mister...” The nurse paused to look at the name on his chart. “Rogers?”

    “I was at work. I stood up to go to my boss’s office. Then...nothing. I don’t remember anything else.”

    “You fainted. You have a very high fever. The doctor is coming in to talk to you soon. He’ll give you a prescription to help reduce your fever. In the meantime, just lay back and rest. And the next time you don’t feel well...stay home!” With that, she left to go check on the rest of her patients.

    Steve lay back in the hospital bed and closed his eyes. About five minutes later, he was woken by a soft knock on the door and someone entering the room. The man who came in looked to be a few years older than Steve, had dark brown hair slicked back so it was out of his face, blue eyes, and was tall and

    ‘ _Gorgeous_ ,’ Steve thought.

    The young doctor paused for a moment, just looking at his patient. Bucky noticed the other man was just his type but repressed the thought in order to be professional.

    “Hello. I’m Doctor Barnes, but my patients just call me Bucky,” the man said, having been told by the nurse that he needed to raise his voice. “How are you feeling, Mister Rogers?”

    “I have a cold, and about ten other unrelated health issues, but I’m fine. The nurse said you were going to give me a prescription for my fever?”

    “Yes, but you hit your head pretty hard on the corner of your desk when you fainted. Can you tell me the year?”

    “It’s nineteen-thirty-eight,” Steve replied immediately.

    “Correct. I don’t think you have a concussion, but I’d like you to stay here overnight so I can be absolutely sure.”

    “I can’t. I have too much to do for work. I need to leave. And I really do feel fine, anyway. Could you just give me my prescription so I can go?”

    “Do you at least have someone who can watch for signs of a concussion?” Bucky asked.

    “...I have neighbors…”

    “If you live alone, then I’m afraid that’s not good enough. You need someone who will actually stay with you, and check for concussions every two hours. All night.”

    “There’s no one else. My mom…” Steve hesitated. “My mom died a couple of years ago, and she was my only family. And most other folks try to avoid me as best they can.”

    “Well, if there’s no one to help, and you refuse to stay here...what if I stay with you? My shift is almost over, and it wouldn’t be any trouble. I can drive you home, check on you tonight, then go from your house straight to the hospital tomorrow morning.”

    “You aren’t going to let this go, are you?” Steve sighed. “Fine. I’ll wait for you in the waiting room.”

    “Alright. Give me an hour to finish up for the day, then I’ll give you a ride to your...house?”

    “Apartment,” Steve corrected. He said a quick goodbye to Bucky, went to the pharmacy to fill his prescription, then walked back to the waiting room, which was empty except for one child and her parents. As soon as he sat down, he got back to work, starting on the second book cover.

    After about twenty minutes of drawing, Steve felt someone watching him. He looked up to see the little girl standing right next to him, and trying to look at his work.

    “Hello,” he said.

    “Whatcha doin’, mithter?” she said with a very adorable lisp.

    “I’m drawing a picture. I have a job where I get to draw pictures all day for people to use in their books. The one I’m working on right now is for one of the books in ‘The Wizard of Oz’. Do you want to see it?” The girl nodded excitedly, so Steve tilted it toward her so she could see. “What do you think?”

    “Ith’s amazin’!”

    “You really like it? Would you like to have it? I can draw something else for my job.”

    “Really?!”

    “Of course!”

    “Thank you!” The girl grinned, held the drawing to her chest, and ran back to her parents, who were on the other side of the room. Steve turned when he heard a chuckle behind him.

    “You just made that girl’s _life_!” Bucky said. “Are you ready to go home?”

    “Yes!” Steve quickly put away his things and stood up. Bucky led the way out of the hospital and toward his 1935 Deluxe Tudor.

    “Get in. You’ll have to give me directions on how to get to your apartment.”

    Steve did just that, and soon they were at his tenement.

    Bucky was shocked by what he saw.

    “Mister Rogers…”

    “Steve, please.”

    “Steve, this place is... I don’t feel comfortable letting you stay here. For someone who’s as unwell... someone who has as many health problems as you do... this place would only make it worse. Change of plans, go up and pack a bag for a few days. Instead of me staying with you for one night, you’re going to stay with me for a few days until you can find and afford a better apartment.”

    “But…”

    “Doctor’s orders.”

    Steve glared, but Bucky stayed firm.

    “Fine. Three days.” Steve quickly got out of the car, walked to his apartment, and filled a small suitcase with some clothes, all his medication for his heart, a carton of cigarettes for his asthma, and the photograph of his mother. “Come on, Ma. We’re going on a trip for a few days.”

    Steve locked his door, walked back to the car, and the two men drove off to Bucky’s house.


	3. Chapter 3

    Soon they arrived at a modest little two-story red brick house with a chimney, a garage off to the side, and a fairly large, well-kept front yard. Bucky pulled into the driveway and parked.

    “Well, this is it!”

    “Murder! This place is the cat’s pajamas!” Bucky grinned.

    “I’m glad you like it!  Come on, I’ll give you the grand tour, then you can unpack and settle in a bit.”

    Steve and Bucky got out of the car, collected his suitcase from the trunk, and made their way into the house.

    Once they were inside, Steve stopped in the entranceway, and took a look around. There was a small kitchen, painted pale yellow with white trim, to his left, with an AGA cooker, an electric oven, a Freon refrigerator, and a table and two chairs. On his right was a cozy little sitting room with two armchairs facing a small television, a wall lined with bookshelves, with the other walls, painted beige, having some photos and paintings hanging up. On a table next to one of the chairs was a radio. Looking straight ahead, he saw a staircase that led upstairs. “Kitchen’s on your left, sitting room on your right, and bedrooms and bathroom are upstairs,” Bucky said. “Let’s go up, so I can show you where you’ll be sleeping.”

    Bucky took Steve’s suitcase from his hand, making their fingers touch. Steve followed him upstairs, coughing and wheezing a bit with the effort of having to climb, and into a small bedroom, with nothing but a bed and a lamp on a bedside table, on the right hand side of the hall. Bucky looked a bit concerned by his patient’s cough and the wheezing he heard. “The bathroom is across the hall, and my bedroom is right next door, on your left. I’ll leave you to unpack while I get dinner started. And I’ll get you something for that cough, too.” Steve nodded and turned to put his suitcase on the bed.

    “Thank you for... well, for looking after me for a few days, I guess.”

    “You’re welcome.” Bucky left, leaving Steve to get settled.

    About an hour later, as Steve was putting his empty suitcase under the bed, Bucky came back, holding a cup. “Hi. Dinner will be ready at…” Bucky suddenly stopped, making Steve turn and raise an eyebrow. “Why does it look like a damn pharmacy in here?” Bucky asked, stunned by all the bottles of medication he saw sitting on the bedside table.

    “I told you. I’m not the healthiest fella,” Steve said.

    “Right, I know that. But why do you need so much? What are you even sick with? I never got a chance to study your chart,” Bucky asked.

    “Bad eyesight, partially deaf, scoliosis, arrhythmia, heart palpitations, high blood pressure, chest pain, rheumatic fever, stomach ulcers, flat feet, scarlet fever when I was a kid, higher risk for diabetes because of my mom, frequent colds, pernicious anemia, nervous trouble, and fatigue. Oh, and I have asthma, too!” Steve rattled off.

    Bucky was shocked. “No offense, but how are you still alive?!”

    Steve shrugged and pointed to all the bottles. “All of this medication is how. Well, that, plus I’m too stubborn to die.”

    Bucky nodded, then remembered he had come in with something. He handed Steve the cup. “This is for you. It should help with your cough.”

    “Is it more medication?” Steve asked, looking into the cup.

    “No. It’s _tea_.” ‘ _Great... my patient is a dope fiend_ ,’ Bucky thought jokingly, then cleared his throat. “Dinner will be ready at six. It’s only five now, so you have time to start on a new drawing for your work if you want to, but don’t sleep. I’m still worried that you might have a concussion.” Steve nodded, sat on his bed, and got started on the new drawing for his work.

    When Steve walked downstairs an hour later, he saw Bucky putting food onto plates.

    “Hi! I made meatloaf, potatoes, and carrots for dinner. I hope that’s ok?”

    “That sounds great! Thank you!” Bucky and Steve sat down and started eating. After a few minutes of silence, and Steve just picking at his dinner, Bucky spoke up.

    “I’ve been thinking about all of your health problems, and how to help you. Would you be alright with me being your doctor? Not just while you’re here, or for your possible concussion, but full-time?” Bucky asked.

    “Why?”

    “Because the doctor you have now has you on way too much medication. You are really unwell. I understand that. But you don’t need anywhere near as much as you’re taking!”

    "Barnes! I. Am. Fine!" Steve said, annoyed that he had to keep repeating himself.

    "I’m worried about you. I don't want to get to work someday just to find out that you died because of a drug overdose!"

     "You worry about me?" Steve asked, surprised.

    "Yeah...”

    "Nobody’s ever really worried about me since my mom died." Steve’s voice got quiet. “I miss her.” He sighed. “Alright. You can be my new doctor.”

    “Thank you. Now eat up! You’re a lot thinner than you should be. Oh! I want to have a look at all your medication after dinner, and throw away anything you don’t absolutely have to take.”

    “I’m actually full now.”

    “You couldn’t be. You only had three bites of food. Are you feeling nauseous?” Bucky asked, still worried about a concussion.

    “No, but I never eat much. It’s because of my asthma and stomach ulcers.”

    “I’ll see what I can do to treat your ulcers.” Bucky put his hand on Steve’s shoulder and gave him a reassuring look, making the thinner man’s heart beat even faster than normal. “For now, why don’t you go get your medications and bring them down here so I can look at them? While you’re doing that, I’ll wash the dishes.” Bucky stood up with his plate and Steve’s, then turned toward the sink.

    Steve had to make two trips to his room and back to the kitchen because of how many bottles he had, but soon everything was on the table.

    Bucky sat in front of the bottles and slowly started going over them. “Asthma... blood pressure... anemia…” After a while, he looked up at Steve, who had been patiently waiting across the table from him. “I’ll admit, you do need most of these, but there are a couple that you don’t need.” Bucky stood up and tossed the unnecessary bottles into the garbage can under the kitchen sink.

    “I know you don’t, or can’t, eat much, so I want you to try eating several small meals throughout the day. That way we’ll get your weight up and you won’t have to eat any more than you can handle at one time.”

    Steve shrugged. “I’m not sure how well that will work, but I’m willing to try it.”

    “Good! That should help with your ulcers, as well. I’m also going to suggest two Tums tablets every day. It won’t cure the ulcers, but the symptoms won’t be as severe.”

    Steve was relieved. ‘ _Finally, a doctor who actually looks at my medication before prescribing more!_ ’ “Thank you, Doctor Bucky!”

    Bucky laughed. “Just ‘Bucky’ is fine. Come on, let’s go into the sitting room. My favorite radio program, ‘The Mercury Theater on the Air,’ is about to start!” he said excitedly.

    “I love that program, too!”

    They walked into the sitting room, and Bucky moved the armchairs around so they could both hear the show, while Steve turned the radio on and to the correct station, then they both sat down.

    “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to ‘The Mercury Theater on the Air’ on CBS Radio. I’m your host, Orson Welles. On tonight’s program, ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ by Charles Dickens. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...”

    As the hour-long program ended, Bucky looked over and saw that the blanket Steve had gotten for himself about half-way through was on the floor, and he was hanging off the side of his armchair, seemingly fast asleep. He stood up and put the blanket back over his patient, deciding to let him sleep there for a little while longer.

    As he finished straightening the blanket, Bucky noticed how peaceful the blond looked, and how handsome he was. He couldn’t resist leaning forward and giving Steve a peck on the lips.

    But when he broke the kiss, he was horrified to see that Steve’s eyes were open.


	4. Chapter 4

    “What the fuck, Bucky?!” Steve stood up. “You’re my doctor! Do you have any idea how inappropriate it is to kiss me, or really, any of your patients?! What are you playing at?” Steve demanded.

    “I...I’m sorry!” Bucky stammered. “You’re right. That was inappropriate. I was just...you looked so calm and peaceful, and you’re kinda cute and exactly my type, so I just...I wasn’t thinking. I’m sorry.”

    “You think I’m cute?”

    Bucky blinked and tilted his head in confusion. “Of course I do. Doesn’t everybody?”

   “No, they don’t. Women aren’t exactly lining up to dance with a guy they might step on. Neither are fellas, for that matter.” Bucky frowned, confused. “I like both genders,” Steve explained. “I think you're pretty handsome, too,” he said shyly.

   “Thanks, sugar, but right now I have to get you to bed.” Bucky bend down and picked him up bridal-style.

    “What kind of boy do you take me for? One kiss does not mean you can get into my pants!”

    “Good to know, but I meant that as in ‘so that you can sleep’. You need to rest.”

    “Fine, but will you put me down? I can walk by myself,” he huffed.

    Bucky nodded. “I know you can, but the floor is cold, and you're sick.”

    Steve was quiet for a few seconds after that, until they got to the door of his room. “I liked the kiss, y’know,” he said. “I just think it was inappropriate.”

    “Can I kiss you again?”

    “On one condition,” Steve bargained. “You have to take me out on a date first.”

    “Steve...I was going to do that anyway. I’m gonna take you to the fanciest place I can. But you know that we can’t act like this is a date in public, right?”

    “Why not?”

    “Haven’t you been reading the newspapers? Coppers have been using young coppers to get homosexual men...men like us...to proposition them. That’s how they get caught. I can’t...I _won’t_ risk you getting locked up, Steve! So all dates have to be kept a secret from the rest of the world.”

    “Alright. I understand.”

    “Good. Now, what do you think about going to Sardi’s for dinner on Friday night?”

    “Sardi’s? Bucky, that’s really expensive. I’m perfectly happy with just a quiet dinner here. You don’t need to waste your money on me,” Steve said in protest.

    “I won’t be wasting it. I’ll be spending it on a fella that should be spoiled every once in a while. But if you really just want to eat here instead, we can.”

    “Thank you,” Steve said, thinking that the conversation was over.

    “But one day, I’m going to take you to dinner at Sardi’s, like it or not.”

    “You’re a jerk sometimes, you know that?”

    “And you’re a punk,” Bucky said, smiling. “What if we go someplace else instead, like...oh! Like to Coney Island?”

    “That sounds swell, Bucky!”

    “Great! I have to go to work tomorrow, but I should be back at about four o’clock. What time will you be back?”

    “Around the same time, I think.”

    “Good. Oh!” Bucky quickly went back downstairs. Steve heard a drawer being opened and shut, then Bucky was back. “Here’s a key to the house if you need it. Please lock up before you leave for work, and help yourself to anything you want, if you decide to take your lunch with you to work. I have to leave early, so I’ll see you after work tomorrow. Good night!”

    “Good night, Bucky.”

    The next morning, Steve walked into work as usual, got out his illustration supplies, and started to ink his drawing for the cover of the latest book in “The Wizard of Oz” series. An hour later, he heard his name being yelled by his boss and flinched, getting ink all over his drawing, ruining it in the process.

    “Rogers! Go home! You’re still too sick to be here! You can barely hold on to your pen!”

    “But, Mr. Smith…”

    “ _Go home_! And if I see you here at any time for the rest of the week, you’ll be fired. Understood?”

    “...Yes, Sir.” Steve gathered up his belongings and left, sulking slightly.

    On his way back to Bucky’s house, he thought that it might be nice if he made dinner as a thank you to the doctor for allowing him to stay. He stopped at the butcher’s counter at the grocer’s and got a whole chicken. He then walked around the rest of the store to get a lemon, rice, and fresh corn. On his way to the cashier, he passed by some oranges that looked good, so he decided to make a Chocolate Orange Cream pie for dessert.

    When he got back to Bucky’s house, Steve made a snack of peanut butter on crackers and put all the groceries away, deciding to wait until the afternoon to start cooking. In the meantime, he turned to the newspaper that Bucky had left on the kitchen table, and began to look for a new place to live until he felt hungry at noon. After eating a sandwich made with cold cuts that were in the refrigerator, while continuing to search through the newspaper, he started on making dinner.

    When Bucky walked through the door, he could smell chicken with lemon being cooked in the oven, and there was a pie sitting on the counter next to the cooker. “Wow! That smells great, Steve! Thank you for making dinner! Wait, when did you get home?”

    “You’re welcome! I just thought that it might be nice if I made dinner as a thank you for letting me stay here for a few days. My boss said that I’m still sick, so I was dismissed for the rest of the week. He even said I’d be fired if I went into work at all this week. So I spent the day looking through the newspaper for an apartment, which did not go well today, but there’s always tomorrow!” Steve said cheerfully, optimistic that he would find an apartment by the weekend.

    “Y’know, I’ve been thinking about that,” Bucky said. “Three days doesn’t seem like enough time to find an apartment, so...what if you stayed longer? I don’t mind. I have plenty of room, and it would be nice to have someone else here. What do you think?”

    “Well, how much longer?”

    “A month, at least.”

    “No way! Bucky, that’s...no. You’ve been very kind to let me stay, and it’s nice of you to offer to let me stay longer, but I can’t take advantage of you like that!” Steve said in protest. Bucky shook his head.

    “You wouldn’t be taking advantage. Like I said, three days isn’t even close to enough time to find a new place to live. At least, not in a safe neighborhood. Plus, as your doctor, if you stay here, it will be much easier for me to keep an eye on your health.”

    “Thank you, Buck. But I can get by on my own.” Bucky put his hand on Steve’s shoulder.

    “I know you can. Thing is, you don’t have to. I’m with you ‘til the end of the line, pal.”

    “...Ok. I’ll stay. But this is just for a month!”

    “Thank you. Now, what did you make for dinner? It smells really good.”

    “It’s just lemon-roasted chicken, rice, and corn. And there’s a Chocolate Orange Cream pie for dessert!” Steve said, happy that he was able to do something nice for his doctor/crush.

    “Is everything ready? I was so busy with my patients that I didn’t have time to eat lunch.”

    “Yeah, Buck. Let’s eat!”

    “You know, that’s the second time you’ve called me ‘Buck’,” Bucky said as he helped Steve put the food on plates and sat down.

    “Oh, I’m sorry. Do you not like it? I didn’t mean to offend you.”

    “It’s ok, Steve. I’m not upset. I kinda like it. It’s just that nobody’s ever nicknamed my nickname before.”

    “So, your parents didn’t actually name you ‘Bucky’?”

    Bucky chuckled. “No. My full name is James Buchanan Barnes. ‘Bucky’ comes from my middle name.”

    “Huh. Neat!”

    “What about you? I don’t know much about you, except that you can draw, you have a lot of illnesses, and your mom died.”

    “Well, my full name is Steven Grant Rogers, I’m twenty-one, and an only child. I’ve been sick for as long as I can remember. My dad was a soldier with the hundred-and-seventh, but he died when I was a kid. Mustard gas. My mom was a nurse in the T.B. ward. She got hit, couldn’t shake it. I tried to go to art school after high school, but I couldn’t attend very often because I was always sick with something, so I mostly taught myself. Nothing better to do when you’re sick in bed, y’know? Then I got a job as an illustrator. My boss knows all about my health, so he lets me work from home if I need to, but I try not to do that more than once a year. What else…? I’m stubborn, as you’ve probably figured out.” Bucky nodded. “I don’t back down from fights, even if the person I’m fighting is twice my size. Mostly because I don’t like bullies. You start running, they’ll never let you stop. You stand up, push back. And I hate being thought of as weak just because I’m short, thin, and always sick. I’m not weak!” Steve’s breathing got a little wheezy, like an asthma attack was starting, so he took as deep of a breath as his lungs would allow to calm down, then continued. “What about you?” he said, standing to put his plate in the sink, get the pie, and cut them each a slice. “I know your name and that you’re a doctor, but I’d like to know more.”

    “I’m twenty-six. I’m originally from Indiana. My dad was a soldier, too. He taught me how to hunt when I was a kid. My mom died when I was little.” Steve put his hand on Bucky’s arm in comfort. “After that, my kid sister was sent to a boarding school because my dad couldn’t take care of both of us, and I could be trained as a soldier one day. I stayed at the camp with my dad, learning all about tactical strategies, and different kinds of guns, but he died in training. The leaders let me stay under state custody until I was eighteen. I couldn’t even look at a gun after my dad died, so I started reading a lot, and I got interested in medicine. At first, I wanted to be an army doctor, but I decided not to go back to the army after I finished medical school, so I moved here to practice.”

    “I’m glad you did,” Steve smiled.

    “I am, too. Thank you for dinner, by the way! That was delicious!”

    “You’re welcome! I’m glad you liked it! If you don’t mind, I think I’m going to go to my room early tonight. My boss startled me at work, so I got ink all over my project, which means I have to start over from the very beginning, and I’d like to get at least a rough sketch done tonight.”

    “Alright. May I kiss you before you go?”

    Steve paused in thought. “Well, I did say you could kiss me after a date, so, if we count this as our first date, then...yes, Buck. You can kiss me.”

    Bucky bend down to Steve’s height and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

    “Good night, Steve,” he said, smiling softly.

    “Good night!” Steve walked out of the kitchen and went upstairs, grinning the whole way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The recipe for Chocolate Orange Cream pie can be found here: https://clickamericana.com/recipes/dessert-recipes/chocolate-orange-cream-pie-recipe-1938


	5. Chapter 5

     A few days later, Steve was in his bedroom, making sure he had everything he would need for his trip to Coney Island with Bucky that afternoon. “Sunscreen...sunglasses...hat…wallet...” Steve muttered to himself. “Asthma cigarettes!” he remembered at the last moment. As he was putting a pack of the cigarettes into his coat pocket, he heard the front door unlock and open.

    “Steve? You here?” he heard Bucky yell.

    “In my room!”

    “Hi!” Bucky said as he entered the room. “Whatcha doin’?”

    “Just getting ready to go. I know we’ll only be gone for a few hours, but there’s some things I want to bring with us, just in case. I think I have everything…” Steve turned to look at everything he had gathered, just to make sure. “What about you? Is there anything you need to bring with you?”

    Bucky smirked. “The only thing I need is you. Are you ready?”

    “Almost!” Using Bucky’s arm for balance, Steve stretched up onto his toes to kiss the taller man’s cheek. “Ok. Now I’m ready!”

    “Good.” Bucky put an arm around him, and together they walked downstairs, got into Bucky’s car, and were on their way.

    After an unusually long car ride, due to Friday afternoon rush-hour traffic, they were finally at Coney Island.

    Bucky got in-line at the main gate with Steve right behind him. When they were finally admitted in, they found themselves in Luna Park, and Bucky took a deep breath and looked around, while Steve just looked at the map that they had been given.

    “Hey, look! A street artist! Come on, pal, let’s go get our portraits drawn!” He grabbed Steve by the arm and practically dragged him to the other side of the street, where the artist was set up.

    “You can get yours done if you want to, but...I don’t think he’s that good,” Steve whispered, after glancing at another customer’s drawing, not wanting to offend his fellow artist.

    “Maybe not, but I still want him to do it,” Bucky said. After greeting the man, he sat on a provided stool, while Steve stood behind the artist and watched him work. 

   “The nose is crooked,” Steve muttered.

    “It is?”

    “The eyes are a little off, too, and your ears are just plain wrong,” he said, no longer bothering to keep his voice down.

    Bucky rolled his eyes, annoyed. “If you hate it so much, why don't you draw one yourself?"

    Steve nodded, pulling out the A6 sketchbook he always kept in his back pants’ pocket, and a pencil that was behind his right ear. Bucky raised an eyebrow.

    “What?” Steve said. “I’m an artist. I find inspiration everywhere, so I always need to be prepared. Now hold still!” After a few minutes, he was finished and held up the sketch. “What do you think?”

 

    “Wow! That’s fantastic, Steve! It looks exactly like me!”

    “You really like it?” Bucky nodded. “You can keep it, then, if you want.” Steve handed the drawing to him. “We can call it an early birthday present!”

    “My birthday is in March, though…”

    Steve shrugged. “Belated birthday, then.”

   “Thanks, pal!” Bucky said, pulling him into a side-hug.

   “You’re welcome, Buck! Now, come on. I’ve never been here before, so I want to see and do as much as I can before we have to leave!”

    “What do you mean you’ve never been here? You never asked your mom to take you?”

    “Well, I was always sick and medication is pretty expensive. It would've been hard for her, and she was doing so much for me already.”

    “It’s a good thing you’re with me, then. I _have_ been here before, so I can show you all the best rides and attractions. Where do you want to start?”

    “I don’t know. There’s so much that I don’t know what I want to see first.”

    “Alright. You should eat first, though, so what if we go get dinner someplace before we go sightseeing?” Steve nodded. “I saw some vendors as we came in. We can get a couple sandwiches or pizza or something.” Bucky and Steve walked back toward the entrance, got two slices of pizza, and sat at a nearby picnic table. As they were finishing their early dinner, Bucky spoke again. “After this, we can start with the carousel, just to get you used to being on a ride. Then we can try something a little more adventurous.”

    Steve stood up to throw his garbage away. “Bucky, the carousel is for babies!”

    “I know, but I don’t think you’re strong enough to handle the Cyclone.”

    “Not...not strong enough? _Not strong enough_?!” Steve shrieked, offended. “I’ll show you ‘not strong enough’! Get outta my way, Barnes! I’m gettin’ on that ride, and. You. Can’t. Stop. Me!” He stomped away, heading straight for the Cyclone, with Bucky trailing behind.

   Twenty minutes later, he was finally finished throwing up.

    “How you feelin’, pal?” Bucky asked, rubbing Steve’s back with one hand, while wiping the smaller man’s mouth with the other.

    “Like shit, no thanks to you!” Steve glared at him. ‘ _Just you wait, Barnes! Someday I’m going to make you get on a ride that you won’t enjoy either!_ ’

    “I’m really sorry, Steve. Why don’t we go down to the beach for a while, so you can get some fresh air? It might help you feel a little better before we have to get back in the car.”

    “Sounds swell, Buck.” Steve took a deep breath and followed the doctor down the path that lead to the water.

    When they got there, Bucky noticed that it was completely empty. ‘ _Perfect!_ ’ he thought. ‘ _Nobody’s around to watch us, so we can relax and enjoy our date._ ’ “Let’s go sit over there, by that log,” Bucky said, pointing to a tree about a hundred yards away.

    “Alright.” They sat down next to each other, and Steve pulled his sketchbook back out. “The sun is going down, so I thought it might be nice if I drew the sunset.”

    Bucky smiled. “I can’t wait to see it when you’re done.”

    After a few seconds, Steve started his drawing, just as the sun was starting to go down, while Bucky alternated between watching the sunset and watching the man beside him. ‘ _He looks so cute when he’s concentrating._ ’ He just loved that little frowny-face that Steve made while he worked, and the way he would use his finger to blend bits of his drawing, then use that same finger to rub his nose, leaving smudge marks.

    Steve finished off the drawing and looked over at Bucky, only to see him looking right back. “Um...Hi?”

    “Can I kiss you?” Bucky blurted out.

    “Wait, I thought you said…”

    “Yeah, I know, but there’s nobody here, so it’s safe. I promise. Can I? Please?”

    Steve took a quick look around to make absolutely sure that they were alone, then nodded.

    Bucky stood up, turned to face Steve, then knelt in front of him and put one arm around the smaller man’s waist. Then he reached up to touch his face gently, and gave him a sweet, slow kiss, making the other man sigh with happiness.

    Encouraged, Bucky deepened the kiss a bit, and lowered the arm around Steve to put his hand on the blond’s rear end.

    Steve broke the kiss and playfully pushed him away. “You asshole,” he said, smiling. “I’m a good boy, and good boys don’t play those games in public. If you want that, then we’ll have to go home so we can play in private.”

    Bucky grinned and started dragging Steve in the direction of the car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Femalemarvelfanatic and M1das would like to thank lydontheblr for allowing us to use her uncle’s drawing of Bucky as Steve’s. You can find her on Tumblr at lydontheblr.tumblr.com.


	6. Chapter 6

     “Come on, Steve!” Bucky yelled from the driver’s seat of his car, and honked the horn. “We gotta go! If we don’t leave _right now_ we’ll miss the train!”

     Two weeks after going to Coney Island, Bucky and Steve woke up to a beautiful and warm morning, so they decided over breakfast that they would spend the day at Rockaway Beach. They had even seen an article in the newspaper that there would be a few carnival games that day as a trial-run for adding them full-time to gain more business at the beach.

     “Coming!” Steve yelled back. After a moment, Bucky saw him exit the house and run down the stairs, struggling to shove a beach towel into a Gladstone bag.

     “Finally…” Bucky muttered under his breath. “Get that in the backseat, and let’s go!”

     Once they finally made it to the beach, Steve pulled out the beach towel and laid it on the sand, while Bucky stripped out of his regular clothes to reveal gray swim trunks, with a pattern of dark gray stripes and red stars, underneath. “I’m gonna go for a swim,” he said. “Wanna come?”

     “Not right now. Maybe in a bit,” Steve replied nervously, but, thankfully, the other man didn’t seem to notice. Bucky grinned, turned, and ran down the beach to the water’s edge, jumping in as soon as he got there, thinking that Steve would join him in the water in about ten minutes. After an hour, however, Steve still hadn’t left their spot on the beach.

     “Steve?” Bucky asked. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling ok?”

     “I’m fine, Buck,” Steve said. “I just don’t want to get in the water.”

     “Why not? It’s a hot day. The water will help you cool off.”

     Steve sighed. “I’m...I’m scared. I never learned how to swim. My mom never had time to teach me, so I don’t know how.”

     “Oh. Well, I can teach you. It isn’t that hard to learn.”

     “I don’t know, Buck. What if I drown?”

     “I would never let that happen. Come here, pumpkin pie. I'm gonna teach you how to swim.”

     Steve looked at him dubiously, as if he wasn’t sure Bucky teaching to him swim was a good idea...or even possible. But he stood up, took off his clothes, and just stood there in his American flag-themed swim trunks.

     Bucky rolled his eyes. “Don’t look so scared, pal! I wouldn’t let anything bad happen to you!” Then he walked with Steve back toward the water, and they waded in, about three feet away from the sand. “Now, I’m going to start by teaching you the easiest thing first. Here we call it ‘dog paddle,’ but in other parts of the world, it’s called ‘doggy style’.” He smirked, amused by his own dirty mind. Steve huffed a laugh, and Bucky continued. “Lay face-down in the water. Don’t look at me like that. I already said I wouldn’t let you drown, didn’t I? Keep your chin above the water. Put your arms out in front of you, like you’re trying to reach something, but keep your arms loose. Bend your elbows a little. I’m going to hold on to your waist. What I want you to do is pretend like your arms are the wheels of a bicycle. Cup your hands a little. Not that much. There! Move your arms up and out, then down and back. Circular motions, one arm at a time. That’s the arm movement. Good! Next step, I want you to move your feet, like you’re running. You’re doing great! Now I want you to put it all together. Circle and run at the same time. Circle and run...circle and run…” Bucky slowly took his hands off Steve and stepped back a few inches.

     After a few seconds, Steve realized that he wasn’t being held anymore. “I’m swimming!” He grinned.

     Bucky shrugged. “Yeah, kind of. You probably won’t win any swimming competitions by dog paddling, but at least you won’t drown. I’ll teach you more another day. For right now, we should go get some lunch.”

     As they were paying for their hot dogs, Bucky heard a little kid crying. Looking over, he saw a red-haired girl, around seven-years-old, was standing near a “High Striker” game and crying. He looked around, but didn’t see anyone who could be with her, so he walked over.

     “Hey, kid. What’s wrong? Are you lost?” he asked, kneeling down so he was at eye-level with her.

     “Nothing, Sir. I’m fine,” the girl sniffled, trying to look and sound brave.

     “That’s an awful lotta tears for ‘nothing’ being wrong. If you tell me what’s going on, maybe I can help you.”

     “My parents gave me some money to play the game, and there’s a toy that I really want as a prize for winning the game, but I’m not strong enough to get it.”

     “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

     “Dolores.”

     “Well, Dot, you just tell me which toy you want, and I’ll get it for you, alright?”

     “The Winnie the Pooh bear, please,” she said, reaching into a small purse she was wearing around her neck to give him some money.

     “Save your money.” He turned to the man running the game. “What do I have to do to get the bear?”

     “Just pick up the hammer and hit the lever. If the puck hits the bell on the top, you’ll win.”

     “Sounds easy enough. How much to play?”

     “One dollar, Sir.”

     “Buck...that’s our train money,” Steve said from directly behind him. Bucky turned to see him standing next to Dot. “If you use that, we won’t be able to get home.”

     “Don’t worry, punk. I’ll think of a back-up plan.” He turned back to the man behind the booth. “Here you go!”

     “Thank you, Sir.” Bucky picked up the hammer, took a few practice swings, then hit the lever, making the puck sail up and hit the bell. “Well done, Sir! On the first try, too!” Bucky was handed the bear. He then turned and handed it to the child.

     “Here, sweetheart,” the doctor said. The little girl thanked him, hugged her new friend to her chest, and ran off to find her parents. Bucky turned to Steve. “You want one, too, pal?”

     The blond man blushed. “I do, but I can get it myself. I don’t need help.”

     “Of course you can,” Bucky said sarcastically, then gave a dollar bill to the game runner and handed the hammer over to Steve. “Go ahead, punk.”

     “Gimme that! Jerk.” Steve grabbed it and walked over to where the lever was. “Just hit the lever, right? And if the puck hits the bell, I win?”

     “Right.”

     Steve nodded in understanding, raised the hammer above his head, and swung. Unfortunately, the puck only moved a few inches.

     “Nice try!” Steve glared at the two men next to him.

     “Want some help, pal?” Bucky asked. Steve huffed, annoyed, but nodded. The doctor stepped up behind him and put his hands on top of the blond’s.

     “Ready, Steve?”

     “Ready!” Together, they lifted the hammer and hit the lever. This time the puck made it all the way to the top, and the bell rang.

     “Winner!” Steve was handed his prize.

     “Thank you, Sir! Thanks, Buck!” Steve said, happy that he had something to remind him of their day.

     “Excuse me?” The two men looked behind them and saw another man, in his mid-forties, standing there. “Which one of you helped a little girl win a High Striker game?”

     “I did,” Bucky said.

     “I’m her father. I just wanted to thank you for helping Dolores. Not many people would have played a game just so that an upset child could have the prize. If there’s anything I can do to repay your kindness, please let me know.”

     “You’re welcome,” Bucky replied. “There’s no need to repay me. I just didn’t like seeing her so upset, so I did what I could to help her.”

     “Actually…” Steve interrupted. “Bucky had to use some of our train money to help your daughter. Could we possibly borrow a few dollars to get home?”

     “Where’s home?” the man asked.

     “Brooklyn.”

     “Well, that’s on our way. What if we give you boys a ride on the back of my freezer truck?”

     “Freezer truck?” Bucky asked.

     “Yes. I knew a lot of people would be here today because of the weather and the carnival games that were advertised, so I decided to bring it down to the beach to promote my business. What do you say?”

     Bucky and Steve thanked the man for his help, and accepted his offer. An hour later, they were headed home.

     “Thank you for teaching me how to swim, Bucky. And for my bear,” Steve said.

     “You’re welcome, pal!” Bucky smiled. “I’m glad you had a good time.”

     They sat inside the truck in silence for a few minutes. It was cold, but nothing that Bucky couldn’t handle, but he worried about Steve. He had been sick not too long ago.

     He looked in the bag for the jacket he brought, putting it over Steve when he found it. The blond made himself comfortable, resting his head on Bucky's shoulder and holding the jacket so it wouldn't fall off and slept the whole trip to Brooklyn.


	7. Chapter 7

    It was nearing the end of Steve’s month-long stay with Bucky, and he still hadn’t find an apartment that he could afford. He had spent every waking moment over the past weekend to find something, and had even taken the week off from work just so he could look, but there was nothing. Now he was starting to feel stressed and slightly panicked.

    Bucky could see how worried the blond had been over the last couple of weeks, so that morning, he called in sick at the hospital so he could spend the day with Steve and try to cheer him up.

    “I’m taking the day off,” he said over breakfast. “You’ve been really stressed and upset lately, so I thought we could spend the day together, and talk...maybe find an activity to do together to take your mind off whatever’s wrong. What do you think?”

    “That sounds nice, Buck. I guess taking one day off from apartment-hunting would be ok. Thanks!”

    “You’re welcome. Finish up. I had a great idea for a way to improve your mood!”

    “Oh, yeah? What?”

    “When I was a kid, and I was sad or upset about something, my family and I would build forts in the sitting room, so that’s what we’re gonna do!” Bucky was very excited about his idea. ‘ _If this doesn’t cheer him up, nothing will!_ ’

    “What’s a ‘fort’?” Steve asked, having never heard of it before.

    “I guess you never made one with your mom?” Steve shook his head. “It’s a...well, it’s kind of like an indoor tent. People usually use pillows or cushions for the floor, the ceiling is made out of blankets or bed sheets, and the walls of it are furniture.”

    “Sounds neat! How big is it supposed to be?” Steve took one last bite of his food, then put his plate in the sink.

    “As big or small as you want. We can make it so it’s just big enough to fit you, or a little bit smaller than the sitting room. It’s completely up to you, punk!”

    “I want to build a big fort, then! Big enough for us both to fit in. How do we start?”

    “Go get as many pillows and blankets as you can find, and while you’re doing that, I’ll go rearrange the furniture in the other room, alright?”

    “Yeah!” Steve was starting to get excited about their activity. ‘ _Gosh! Getting to do all this stuff with Bucky is swell! It feels like I’m a kid again!_ ’

    He went upstairs and gathered up all the blankets and pillows he could find, bringing some things down one at a time. “That blanket is really heavy!” Steve defended himself when Bucky asked why he only brought one blanket down, and added “I’m alright, but that pillow is almost bigger than me!” when Bucky asked if he was hurt after he almost fell down the stairs carrying a large pillow.

    About two hours later, the fort was ready to be occupied. “Go on in, punk. I gotta get a flashlight. I’ll make us some lunch, too,” Bucky said, turning to the kitchen. Soon he was back with a flashlight and ham and cheese sandwiches for each of them.

    “Thanks, Buck!” Steve said, propping himself up against one of the pillows.

    The afternoon passed slowly, and Steve was grateful for that. They had a whole day just to stay together and cuddle inside their fort and discovered that it could become way too hot if you spend too much time inside it, so Bucky left for a few minutes to get a fan and some cold water for both of them. When he came back, Steve climbed into Bucky’s lap, letting his head rest on his boyfriend’s chest while the doctor let his hand trail up and down on his back, along his slightly curved spine. Bucky told him stories about weird things that happened at the hospital and Steve just laughed, forgetting about the world outside.

    “So, what’s going on with you, pal?” Bucky asked after a few hours of talking, and occasionally kissing.

    “Nothing,” Steve shrugged. “I’m just…”

    “Just what?”

    “...I know that we agreed that I’d only stay for a month. And I promise to be gone by then! But time is almost up, and I’m having trouble finding a new place.”

    Bucky took a moment to think of how to respond. ‘ _I can’t ask him yet. I want it to be romantic. That’s why I made the reservation at Sardi’s! So what do I say?!_ ’ “You know, I have a friend who’s looking for someone to live with him. If you want, I can talk to him. See if maybe you could meet with him, take a look at his place. What do you think?”

    “That’s awful nice of you, Buck. But you don’t have to. I’ll be ok. I just wasn’t expecting it to take so long,” Steve yawned. “Or be so tiring.”

    “I’ll bet! But you can’t go to sleep right now, pal. Come on! We gotta get cleaned up!”

    “Why? Where are we going?”

    “We have seven o’clock reservations at Sardi’s. It’s five-thirty now, so we’ll have to hurry if we want to be there on time.”

    “Buck, we already talked about this…”

    “Yes, we did. And I told you I’d take you to Sardi’s one day.”

    “Yeah...was kinda hoping you had forgotten about that,” Steve muttered.

    “Nope! Go get dressed! We have to leave in about an hour.”

    Steve sighed, giving up on arguing. “What’s the dress code?”

    “Business casual. Just go put on a suit and tie, and you’ll be fine.”

    Steve nodded, leaving to take a shower and get dressed. After both men showered, shaved, and got dressed, with Steve in a light gray suit and charcoal tie, and Bucky in a black suit and tie, they were finally ready to go. Kissing one last time, for the next few hours at least, they left the house, got in Bucky’s car and began the ride to Sardi’s.

    Once they got to the restaurant, they were seated immediately, and a young lady with dark brown hair and eyes approached their table.

    “Hi. My name is Lydia,” she said as she handed them menus. “I’ll be your waitress tonight. Can I start you off with anything to drink?”

    “A bottle of Chardonnay, please,” Bucky requested after looking at the wine list for a moment. “The Buena Vista.”

    “Excellent choice, Sir,” she said. “I’ll be back in a moment.” She smiled at the two men and left to fill their drink order.

    Bucky and Steve were quiet for a moment as they looked at their menus and decided what they wanted. Eventually, the doctor broke the silence.

    “Steve? I wanted to ask you something, pal,” he started nervously. “Remember when I said I have a friend who’s looking for a roommate? Well, the thing is…” Bucky trailed off when he noticed the blond wasn’t paying attention, but instead looking at a small group seated a few tables away from them.

    One of the men at the table was screaming at Lydia, and the young woman looked absolutely terrified. Steve got up and straightened his clothes.

    “What do you think you’re doing?” Steve’s face was already flushed with anger.

    Bucky got up, going after his date, trying to make him give up on the fight, but Steve wouldn’t listen and just kept on shouting at the man...until he was hit by a punch, on his right cheek, making him stumble backwards.

    Seeing his love get hurt made Bucky see red. He shoved Steve behind him to shield the smaller man from getting hurt even more, and he lashed out at the man who had been screaming at the waitress, punching him in the nose repeatedly. Adrenaline consumed him and made his movements sloppier. By the time the security guard broke the fight, Bucky’s hands were shaking and his jaw was clenched. The guy’s face was red and bruised, and it gave Bucky a small feeling of pride to see the man’s bleeding mouth.

    It was just a few seconds but it felt like they had fought for an hour.

    “Are you okay? Did you get hurt?” Steve grabbed his attention.

    “I’m fine, punk. You, not so much,” Bucky lifted his chin to take a look at the bruised cheek. “It’s swollen.”

    “It’s not hurting. I’ll be fine.”

    “Grab your jacket. We’re going home. I need to get this fixed,” Bucky asked in a more demanding voice, but not angry. He could never be angry at Steve.

    “Okay, Doctor.”

    “Wait, please!” They turned to see the waitress behind them, holding a bag. “I wanted to thank you for defending me,” she said to Steve. “It was very brave of you. I know I’ll never be able to repay you, but I got you and your friend a dinner to go. And your entire meal, including the wine, which is in the bag, too, is on the house.”

    “You didn’t have to…” Bucky started to say, but was interrupted.

    “And you and your friend didn’t have to help me.” She handed Steve the bag and kissed his cheek. “I should get back to work. Have a good evening.”

    “Thank you! You, too!” Bucky said, turning to the door, in a hurry to get Steve home and look at his wounds.

    When they finally got home, Bucky opened Steve’s passenger car door, carried him bridal-style into the house, and dropped him onto one of the armchairs in the sitting room, before going to the kitchen for an ice pack.

    “How are you feeling, Steve? Do you want me to get you a pain-reliever or anything?”

    “I’m fine, Buck. You don’t need to worry so much.”

    “Of course I do!” Bucky came back in the room, knelt in front of Steve, and held the ice pack to the blond’s face. “I…” He trailed off.

    “You...what, jerk?”

    “Nothing. Punk.” Steve reached up to take the pack, and put it down.

     “Tell me, Bucky. Please. And tell me what you were going to say at dinner, before the fight.”

    “...remember when I told you that I have a friend who’s looking for a roommate?” Steve nodded. “Well, I didn’t lie, exactly, but...I’m the friend. I was talking about myself. I love you, and I want you to live here with me. Permanently. As my boyfriend.”

    “We haven’t known each other that long…” Steve said, like he was trying to talk himself out of agreeing.

    “I know, but...I love you. I’m in love with you, Steve. I’m pretty sure I started falling when I saw you in that hospital room. Please give me a chance.”

   Steve smiled. “I’m not in love with you...but I’m about halfway there. If we can take things slow, then...yes, I’ll move in with you.” Bucky grinned and kissed him.

    “Come on, Steve. Let’s go celebrate with that wine and dinner that the waitress gave us!” 


	8. Chapter 8

     It was July of 1939. Bucky and Steve had been dating, and living together, for a year. Every night, Bucky came home from the hospital to find Steve either in their living room or kitchen, a mess of papers and ink on the tables, and having the world’s brightest smile, just for him. For the first time Bucky didn’t feel like he needed to hide who he was.

     “I'm on the night-shift tonight,” Bucky announced, grabbing his coat, ready to go back to the hospital.

     “Again?” Steve whined. He had those puppy-dog eyes on his face that made Bucky’s chest hurt for having to leave him.

     “Sorry, doll,” Bucky leaned in for one last kiss. “Love ya!”

     As soon as the door closed, Steve whispered to himself “I love you more than you’ll ever know” before turning the lights off and heading to their bedroom. He pretended to be asleep when Bucky came back home when the sun was almost rising, trying not to worry his lover. Bucky noticed but pretended not to. He just stepped out of the shower and lay on the bed, placed his hands on Steve’s tiny hips, and rested for a little while.

     The next time Bucky entered the hospital, one of the receptionists told him that the hospital’s chief physician was waiting to talk to him. He was scared because deep inside he knew what was coming.

     The man had an unamused look on his face and didn’t say much more than “Good morning, Doctor Barnes,” before handing him his pink slip, and telling him that he was fired.

     “Why, Sir?”

     “You know what you’ve done, Doctor.” He opened the door for his former employee to leave. “I want you to know that we don’t trust sodomites like you in this hospital.”

     Bucky put on a fake smile on his face, took off the medical coat and left it there. He didn’t allow himself to cry until he got home. The house was empty. Steve was at his studio and wasn’t supposed to come back until noon. Bucky lay on their couch, looking at the ceiling and feeling numb.

     “Buck?” Steve asked as soon as he saw his lover on the living room. “You’re not supposed to be here until six. What happened?”

     “I was fired,” he said harshly, almost as if the words hurt to speak.

     Steve sat on the couch and held him for a long time, not letting go until Bucky did. He let Bucky cry on his shoulder until his shirt was wet and ran a hand up and down his back in a failed attempt to ease the pain that the other man was feeling.

     So Bucky took a week off, doing everything he procrastinated doing in the last few months, like fixing a pipe that broke about a week ago and neither of them was home long enough to fix it. Steve was glad, now he had more time to be with his lover.

     “Need anything, love?” Bucky asked when he saw Steve at the door a few days after being fired.

     “Nothing, just…” He came closer, letting his hand rest on the side of Bucky’s face. “I don’t know how much longer I will able to support both of us, Buck. The money I make isn’t that much…”

     “I know, Steve. I will think of something.”

     They kissed one last time before Steve left for work.

     That night, Steve groaned as the phone rang in the middle of the night. Bucky woke up, scared by the sudden noise, and ran to the living room, where the house’s phone was.

     “Hello?”

     “Doctor James Barnes?” He recognized the voice of the hospital’s head receptionist. “Could you please come to the hospital? One of your patients is demanding to see you.”

     “I'm not allowed in the hospital anymore, Mary. Didn’t they tell you?”

     “This is an emergency, Doctor. And the patient is demanding to see you. _Only_ you.”

     “I will be there in twenty minutes.”

     As he got to the hospital, already putting on his coat and straightening the collar, a nurse lead him to the patient's room.

     “Oh, thank goodness you’re here, Doctor. Sorry for waking you up in the middle of the night, but he was coughing so much and you’re the only one I trust in this hospital!” His patient’s young wife said the last part a little lower than the rest almost as if she told him a secret.

     “It’s ok, Ma’am.” He placed the end of the stethoscope on the man’s back. “Take deep breaths, please.” After examining him for a while, Bucky had the diagnosis.

     “Severe bronchitis. Give him Ceftriaxone injections twice a day for a week. One of the nurses will show you how.” As he wrote a prescription, the director of the hospital appeared on the room’s door.

     “We need to talk, Barnes.” he said.

     “I’m sorry, Sir! It won’t happen again. The patient was desperate, and I just wanted to help.”

     “Not about this. We want you back in the hospital.” He shut the door so they could have a more private discussion on the corridor. “I am not letting go of the best doctor in this hospital over something that stupid. It doesn’t matter what Williams says.”

     “Thank you!”

     “You start again tomorrow, Barnes. Morning-shift.”

     “How did it go?” Steve asked, worried, as soon as Bucky stepped inside their home a couple of hours later.

     “I was rehired!” he said excitedly.

     Steve came closer to hug him, wrapping his arms around the other’s torso, while he put his own arms around Steve’s shoulders.

     “I think we should celebrate.” Bucky let go of the blond. “Dinner tonight?”

     “Yep!” Steve headed to the kitchen, ready to start making their breakfast, since it was already six o’clock in the morning.

     On the way to the restaurant, both of them listened the news over the car radio. Bucky heard once again that the president was declaring war.

     “Terrible isn’t it? The war.”

     “Absolutely.”

     The restaurant they had chosen was fancy, but large, which meant the tables were far apart and they wouldn’t have to censor their topics as much.

     “Ready to order?” their waitress asked.

     After they requested their orders, as soon as the waitress walked away, Steve’s expression changed to a dead-serious one.

     “Buck I…I need to talk to you.” He was clearly nervous, so Bucky reached out and grabbed his hand under the table. “War is official now, so I was thinking…I was thinking about joining the army.” 

     “Excuse me…you what?” ‘ _No no no no no...Steve’s planning on leaving me!_ ’ Bucky shook his head “No, Steve. I won't allow that.”

     “You can’t tell me what to do, Barnes,” Steve snapped.

     “Can we just have a nice dinner and talk about it later?” Bucky asked.

     The mood was heavy during the whole dinner. Steve only talked when he absolutely had to. And suddenly, all the words Bucky had been rehearsing for months to say, suddenly seemed inappropriate. On their way to the car, Steve seemed to walk further apart from Bucky than he usually would.

     “Why can’t you support my decisions for once, Buck?” he choked out.

     “Steve, I am doing this for you! Because I don’t want you to get hurt, or even die, in this war.”

     “You should let me go. Why do you care so much, anyways?” he asked, not really expecting an answer, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

     “Because I love you, and I want you to marry me!” That caught Steve off-guard.

     The doctor pulled him to a nearby alley, took a velvet box out of of the pocket of his blue coat and opened it, revealing a thin golden ring, with blue gems.

     “I know we can’t actually get married, but in my head and in my heart, I keep referring to you as my husband. If there ever comes a day when it’s legal for two men to get married, will you marry me?” Bucky was already wiping Steve’s tears.

     “Of course I will, you jerk!” Steve came closer, sobbing, and put his head on Bucky’s shoulder.

     They looked around to be sure no one was seeing and shared a short kiss.

     Bucky put the ring on Steve’s finger, and both of them spent some time admiring it.

     Two months later, Bucky was getting ready to leave for the war. “You look so good.” Steve smiled through the tears, lifting up his camera to take a picture of his lover. “Smile, soldier.”

     He put on a fake smile and hugged Bucky one last time. “Love ya.”

     “Love you, too. Don’t forget about me!”

     “I could never!” The blond lifted up the thin chain necklace with his ring on it. “I’m with you ‘til the end of the line.” ‘ _And I’ll see you soon, sweetheart, if Dr. Erskine’s serum works!_ ’


End file.
